Stuff We Love: Healthy Kid Products

I always try to research products before trying them on my 4 and 2-year-old children. Whether it's healthy foods for their bodies or healthy games for their minds, I'm pretty picky when it comes to what I give my kids. I've made purchases that weren't well-received when I brought them home (especially food items), but through trial-and-error I've found some staples that work well in our home. Here are just a few.

For a healthy body: I would love to say that I make all of my children's food from scratch and they never eat processed foods. But that's not reality. I do try to limit crackers and other snacks like this as much as possible. But there are a few that don't make me cringe reading the ingredient list, and my kids enjoy, too.

I consider these to be a healthy version of the Fruit Rollups I ate as a kid. They are convenient to pack in your purse or keep in the car for hunger emergencies. I find them in the Natural Foods section of my local supermarket.

My kids love to help me cook. Why not find a cookbook full of healthy recipes that you can make together? It's a great way to spend time with your kids and develop healthy eating habits as a family.

For a healthier earth: If your school-aged children pack their lunch every day, you know how many plastic baggies and brown bags you can go through in a week. Why not consider a reusable lunch bag and containers? There are lots of different options out there, but here is a line of BPA-free products that I like:

For a healthier mind: My kids are kind of young for most board games or computer games. I'm always looking for an alternative to traditional books (we read tons of them!), and found these games that my kids really enjoy.

The nice thing is that they are age-appropriate, so my both of my kids can be challenged with their own set. The cards come in decks that are held together at the top, so there's no worry that you're going to have lots of cards spread all over the house.

My son got this for Christmas, and although his attention span isn't the longest, he will play some of the games and can grow into it. My daughter also likes it (although some of the games are too easy for her.) This is a nice alternative to T.V. time if you're looking for ideas.

For financial health: It's never too early to get your kids in the habit of saving money. Any time my kids get money for their birthdays (or just because grandma has some spare change), the first thing they want to do is put it in their piggy banks.

This bank counts coins as they are deposited and keeps a running total of how much has been saved on an LCD screen. If you don't want to spend quite this much, a traditional piggy bank can still teach your child the value of saving money.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favorite health-related products for kids?

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Gave three of my granddaughters piggy banks this year for Christmas with the offer to match the money next Christmas that was in the bank and no loading it up just before you bring it to me to count One day at a time
- 1/26/2011 6:54:22 PM

Our boys and now my grandkids LOVE to cook with me. Yeat it made a mess some days. They were also always taught to pick up that mess. All of our grown up sons cook well and bake well, only my wonderful DH did not learn to cook. Animals hunt their own food why should we humans neglect to teach our children such a necessary skill. Pat in Maine.
- 1/26/2011 3:05:41 PM

My daughter, now four, and I have been playing "I Spy" computer games since she was about three and a half. The nice thing about "I Spy" in comparison to other "spot the item" games is that it has a talking list of things to find. She can run the mouse over any of the items she needs to find and the voice will tell her what to look for, she doesn't need to be able to read to find stuff.
- 1/26/2011 12:40:13 AM

These things are for kids? Lol! What about kids at heart?? I love Annie's products and the Lit & Fit containers would be great for adult lunches.

Brain Quest is awesome! My daughter is now 18 but she had several different sets of the Brain Quest questions. She LOVED them. We would often use them for reading material before bed time. She recently found her 6th grade one and was quizzing me.
- 1/25/2011 11:32:23 PM

I rely on some processed foods too... unsalted rice crackers go well with cheese and fresh fruit for snacks. Sometimes I get freeze-dried mangoes or strawberries from Trader Joe's.
- 1/25/2011 11:14:37 PM

I've been looking for some "Brain games" to get my 3 (almost 4) year old learning. He thinks "school time" is something he does with daddy... so if he gets any hint I'm trying to teach him something, he rebels! And I'm the primary caretaker! So, it's been kind of rough. I may try the brain quest things as an affordable teaching tool that daddy will have to be hands off of!
- 1/25/2011 5:56:29 PM

Stretch Island fruit strips are SOOOOO good! I bought them for myself (put some in the glovebox) for a snack between work and school. And one day, the kids saw them and wanted to try them- and they loved them. I also sent them in a care package to my cousin in Afghanistan. I buy them by the carton from drugstore.com and we eat them fast! I know they aren't a replacement for fresh fruit, but they are super convenient and have NO ADDED SUGAR! which is good.
- 1/25/2011 5:55:14 PM

My daughter never liked those laptop things because they don't look like a real computer screen. Even at 3 years old she was using a real computer. I do love the Annie's brand, they make great products.
- 1/25/2011 3:39:47 PM

I like the Annie's mac and cheese in a pinch, but my 2 year old has bad teeth so we have to avoid crackers and fruit strips, even natural ones. The laptop bored her (because it's not in color?), but she's learning a lot of sight words, etc from her v.reader:) She also loves the brainquest decks. It was a lifesaver on the last plane ride! I'd also suggest making a papier mache piggy bank. It's messy, but we had a blast.
- 1/25/2011 3:28:23 PM

I'm using annie's products as well, my kids love them .For emergencies i have granola bars in the car.But I do a lot home made cooking from scratch to ensure my kids eat well balanced food.As for the development we do lot crafts/games/and visit early child education center.
- 1/25/2011 2:34:15 PM

I have a child who needs high calorie foods... I appreciate the fruit strips... and other items like these... that i know the kids aren't getting a ton of junk, no one should eat!! I love the fruit strips cuz the are more like the fruit leather i made at home as a kid via the dehydrator.
- 1/25/2011 1:49:53 PM

I do love the Annie's brand stuff. I've often wondered if the BrainQuest stuff is "worth it" so I appreciate your review! I have a 5-year-old who didn't meet the age requirement for Kindergarten this year, so I'm looking for something to build her skills and challenge her a little so she doesn't get bored. Thanks!
- 1/25/2011 12:45:25 PM

I use to buy a lot of "educational toys" at the Teacher's Supply Store, which worked great for helping them learn a lot of things. My oldest three have graduated from college and my DD is going. My 4th son didn't want to go so he has his license in Real Estate and is selling foreclosed houses. I read once that the most expensive thing you can have is an uneducated child. You pay now or pay later.
- 1/25/2011 12:06:26 PM

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